There was an hufbandman (faith ‡ Mr Smith) that always fowed good feed, but never had good corn; at laft a neighbour came to him, and faid, I will tell you what probably may be the cause of it; it may be (faid he) you do not fteep your feed: No, truly, faid the other, nor did I ever hear that feed must be fteeped. Yes, furely, faid his neighbour, and I will tell you how; it must be steeped in prayer. When the party heard this, he thanked him for his counfel, reformed his fault, and had as good corn as any man whatsoever. Surely it is not the husbandman's, but God's fteeps, that drop fatAlma mater terra, the earth indeed is a fruitful mother, but the rain which fecundates, and fertilizes it, hath no other Father but God, Job xxxviii. 28. nefs. A APPLICATIΟΝ. S impoffible it is (in an ordinary way) for fouls to be made fruitful in grace and holinefs, without the dews and influences of ordinances, and the bleffing of God upon them, as for the earth to yield her fruit without the natural influences of heaven; for look, what dews, showers, and clear fhinings after rain are to the fields, that the word and ordinances of God are to the souls of men. "My "doctrine fhall drop as the rain, my fpeech fhall diftil as the dew, "as the small rain upon the tender herb, and as the fhowers upon the grafs," Deut. xxxii. 2. "For as the rain cometh down, and the "fnow from heaven, and watereth the earth, and maketh it bring "forth and bud; fo fhall my word be that goeth forth of my "mouth." Ifa. lv. 10. 11. And as the doctrine of the gospel is rain, fo gospel-ministers are the clouds in which thofe heavenly vapours are bound up: the resemblance lies in the following particulars. 1. The rain comes from heaven, Acts xiv. 17. "He gave us "rain from heaven, and fruitful feafons," &c. The doctrines of the gofpel are alfo of an heavenly extraction and descent; they are heavenly truths which are brought to you in earthen veffels; things that were hid in God, and come from his bofom, Eph. iii. 8, 9. What Nicodemus faid of Chrift is, in a proportion, true of every faithful difpenfer of the gofpel, " Thou art a teacher come from God," John iii. 2. You are not to look upon the truths which ministers deliver, as the mere effects and fruits of their inventions and parts; they are but the conduits through which thefe celeftial waters are conveyed to you. It is all heavenly, the officers are from heaven, Eph. iv. 12. their doctrine from heaven, Eph. iii. 8, 9. the efficacy and fuccefs of it from heaven, 1 Cor. iii. 3. "What I received of the Lord (faith Paul) that have I delivered unto you," 1 Cor. xi. 23. The VOL. V. Smith's Effex Dove. L fame may every gofpel-minifter fay too. That is the firft: And then, (2dly.) The rains falls by divine direction and appointment: "He caufes it to rain upon one city, and not upon another," Amos iv. 7. You shall often fee a cloud diffolve and spend itself upon one place, when there is not a drop within a few miles of it. Thus is the gospel sent to fhed its rich influences upon one place, and not upon another; it pours down fhowers of bleflings upon one town or parish, whilst others are dry like the ground which lay near to Gideon's wet fleece. "To you is the word of this falvation fent," Acts xiii. 26. Sent; it comes not by chance, but by commiffion and appointment, and it is fent to you by fpecial direction. Minifters can no more go whither they please, than the failing clouds can move against the wind. Paul and Timothy, were two fruitful clouds that fent down many fweet refreshing fhowers upon every place whither they came. The Lord fent them through Phrygia and Galatia, but forbad them to preach the word in Asia, Acts xvi. 6. " And "when they effayed to go into Bithynia, the Spirit fuffered them not," v. 7. But a man of Macedonia appears to Paul in a vifion, and prayed him, faying, "Come over to Macedonia and help us," Thus you fee how the myfical, as well as the natural clouds are moved according to divine counfel; and though minifters are not now difpofed to their refpective places, in fuch an extraordinary way, yet there is ftill a fpecial hand of the Spirit guiding their motions, which is feen partly in qualifing them for fuch a people, and partly in drawing out their hearts to elect and call them, and inclining their hearts to accept the call. ver. 9. 3. There is a great deal of difference in the fhowers of rain that fall upon the earth. Sometimes you have an hafty fhower, which makes the ways float, and the ftreets run, but it is gone prefently, the earth hath but little benefit by it; and fometimes you have a fweet, gentle, foaking rain, that moderately foaks to the root, and refreshes the earth abundantly. This is called the fmall rain, and the former, the great rain of his firength, Job xxxvii. 6. So it is in these spiritual fhowers; the effects of fome fermons (like a fudden spout of rain) are very tranfient, that touch the heart a little for the prefent, by way of conviction or comfort, but it fleets away immediately, Jam. i. 23. At other times the gofpel, like a fettled, moderate rain, foaks to the root, to the very heart. So did that fweet thower which fell, Acts ii. 37. It fearched the root, it went to the heart; the influences of it are fometimes abiding, and do much longer remain in, and refresh the heart, than the rain doth the earth. There be effects left in fome hearts, by fome fermons and duties, that will never go out of it as long as they live. "I will never forget thy precepts, for by them thou hast quick"ened me," Pfal. cxix. 93. 4. The rain is most beneficial to the fweet, warm fun-blafts with it, or after it. earth, when there come This the fcripture calls "a clear shining after rain," 2 Sam. xxiii. 4. by which the feminal ཟ virtue of the earth is drawn forth, and then the herbs, flowers, and corn fprout abundantly. So it is with gofpel-fhowers, when the Sun of righteoufnefs opens upon poor fouls under the word, darting down the beams of grace and love upon them, whilft they are attending on it, (just as you sometimes fee a sweet shower fall while the fun thines out). O how comfortable is this! and effectual to melt the heart! And as the warm rain is most refreshing, fo when the word comes warmly, from the melting affections of the preacher, who imparts not only the gofpel, but his own foul with it, I Theff ii. 8. this doth abundantly more good than that which drops coldly from the lips of the unaffected fpeaker. 5. Showers of rain do exceedingly refresh the earth, as a man is refreshed by a draught of water, when his fpirits are even spent. O how welcome is a fhower to the thirsty ground! Hence the little hills are faid to rejoice on every side, yea, to fhout for joy and fing when a fhower comes, Pfal. lxv. 12, 13. But never were fhowers of rain fo fweetly refreshing to the thirsty earth, as gofpel-fhowers are to gracious fouls, Col. iv. 8. they comfort their very hearts. What joy was there in Samaria, when the gofpel came to that place? Acts viii. 8. It revives the foul, it is mel in ore, melos in aure, jubilum in corde, honey in the mouth, melody in the ear, and a very jubilee in the heart. 6. Rain is neceffary at feed-time, to make ready the earth to receive the feed, Pfal. lxv. 9, 10. "Thou vifiteft the earth, and waterest it; "thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of wa"ter; thou preparest them ćorn, when thou haft fo provided for it; "thou watereft the ridges thereof abundantly, thou fettleft the fur❝rows thereof, thou makeft it foft with fhowers, thou blessest the " fpringing thereof." And this the fcripture calls the former rain. And as this is neceffary about feed-time, fo the latter rain is as needful about earing-time, to difclofe the ear, and to bring it to perfection; both these are great bleflings to the earth, and conduce to a plentiful harveft, Joel ii. 23, 24. "Be glad then ye children of Sion, and "rejoice in the Lord your God, for he hath given you the former" ❝rain moderately, and he will cause to come down for you the rain, "the former and the latter rain in the first month, and the floors "shall be full of wheat, and the fats fhall overflow with wine and "oil." Thus the gofpel hath a double use and benefit alfo. It is neceffary as the former rain at feed-time, it caufes the firft fpring of grace in the heart, Pfal. xix. 7. And there could be (in an ordinary way) no spring of grace without it, Prov. xxix. 18. And as this former rain is neceffary to caufe the first fpring of grace, fo alfo it hath the use of the latter rain to ripen thofe precious fruits of the Spirit in the fouls of believers, Eph. iv. 11, 12, 13. "He gave fome apoftles, "and fome prophets, and fome evangelifts, and fome paftors and "teachers, for the perfecting of the faints, for the work of the mi"niftry, for the edifying of the body of Chrift, till we all come in the "unity of the faith, and the knowledge of the Son of God, to a per"fect man, unto the measure of the ftature of the fulness of Chrift." Were all the elect converted unto God, yet ftill there would be a neceffity of a gospel-ministry. 7. After a great glut of rain, ufually there comes a drought; it is a common country proverb, Wet and dry pay one another. And truly when a people are glutted with a fulnefs of gofpel-mercies, it is usual with God to fhut up and restrain the gofpel-clouds, that, for a time at least, there be no dews upon them, and thereby teach them to prize their despised (because common) mercies at an higher rate. For as a good man once faid, mercies are best known by the back, and most prized when most wanted. "In those days the word of "the Lord was precious, there was no open. vifion," 1 Sam. iii. I. It is with fpiritual as with temporal food, flighted when plenteous, but if a famine once come, then every bit of bread is precious. Jerufalem remembered in the days of her afflictions, and of her misery, all her pleasant things that she had in the days of old, Lam. i. 7. It is both a finful and dangerous thing to wantonize with gofpel-mercies, and despise the plaineft (if faithful) ministers of the gospel. The time may come when you may be glad of the plaineft fermon from the mouth of the meaneft ambaffador of Chrift. 8. To conclude, The prayers of faints are the keys that open and shut the natural clouds, and cause them either to give out, or withhold their influences, Jam. v. 17, 18" Elias was a man subject to like paffions, as we are, and he prayed earneftly that it might not ❝rain, and it rained not on the earth by the fpace of three years and "fix months; and he prayed again, and the heavens gave rain, and "the earth brought forth her fruit." God hath fubjected the works of his hands to the prayers of his faints, Ifa. xlv. 11. Prayer is also the golden key which opens thefe myftical gofpelclouds, and diffolves them into fweet, gracious flowers. God will have the whole work of the ministry carried on by the prayers of his people; they first obtain their minifters by prayer, Luke x. 2. "Pray 66 ye the Lord of the harveft to fend forth labourers into the vine"yard." It is by the help of prayer that they are carried on, and enabled to exercite their miniftry: They may tell their people as a great general once told his foldiers, That he flew upon their wings.' Pray for me, (faith the great apoftle) that utterance may be given "me, that I may open my mouth boldly, to make known the myf"teries of the gospel," Eph. vi. 19. Yea, by the faints prayers it is, that ministers obtain the fuccefs and fruits of their labours, 2 Theff. iii. 1. "Finally, brett.ren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free courfe, and be glorified even as it is with you." And thus you have the metaphor opened. Now, O! that these truths might come down in fweet fhowers upon the hearts both of miniflers and people in the following reflections. REFLECTIONS. Three reflections for gofpel-minifters. 1. Am I then a cloud? And is my doctrine as rain to water the Lord's inheritance? And yet do I think it much to be toffed up and down by the furious winds and ftorms of perfecution? Do not I fee the clouds above me in continual motions and agitations? And fhall I dream of a fixed, fettled ftate? No; falfe teachers, who are clouds without rain, are more likely to enjoy that than I. Which of all the prophets have not been toffed and hurried worse than I? Acts vii. 52. He that will not let men alone to be quiet in their lufts, muft expect but little quiet from men in this life. But it is enough, Lord, that a rest remaineth for thy fervant; let me be fo wife to fecure a reft to come, and not so vain to expect it on earth. 2. And, O that I might study thofe inftructing clouds, from which, as from the bottles of heaven, God pours down refreshing showers to quench and fatisfy the thirsty earth! In this may I resemble them, and come amongst the people of the Lord, "in the fulness of the "bleffing of the gospel of Chrift," Rom. xv. 29. O let not thofe thirsty fouls that wait for me as for the rain, Job xxix. 23. "return "like the troops of Tema, afhamed, with their heads covered," Job vi. 19. O that my lips might refreth many! Let me never be like thofe empty clouds, which deceive the hopes of thirty fouls; but let my doctrine defcend as the rain, and diftil as the dew, and let that plot of thine inheritance which thou haft affigned to me, be as a field which the Lord hath bleffed. 3. Once more, lift up thine eyes to the clouds, and behold, to how great an height the fun hath mounted them, for by reafon of their fublimity it is that they are called the clouds of heaven, Matth. xxiv. 30. Lord, let me be a cloud of heaven too: Let my heart and converfation be both there! Who is more advantaged for an heavenly life than I? heavenly truths are the subjects of my daily ftudy, and fhall earthly things be the objects of my daily delights and loves? God forbid that ever my earthly converfation fhould contradict and shame my heavenly calling and profeffion. Shine forth thou glorious fun of righteoufnefs, and my heart thall quickly be attracted and mounted above thefe vifible clouds, yea, and above the afpectable heavens. 1. Is the gospel rain, and are its minifters clouds? Woe is me then, that my habitation is upon the mountains of Gilboa, where there are no dews! Ah fad lot, that I fhould be like Gideon's dry fleece, whilft the ground round about me is wet with the dew of heaven; O thou that commandeft the clouds above, and openest the windows of heaven, remember and refresh this parched wilderness, Three reflections for private Chrif tians. For those that gospel want a ministry. |